Fulani Herdsmen and Communal Clashes in Nigeria: Issues and Solutions: ISSN 2205-6246

The objective of this paper is threefold; to highlight the culture of nomadism, the issues of competing resources that have led to communal clashes and finally to proffer solutions for developing the livestock industry. The Fulani tribes are principally nomads that rear cattle, sheep and goats as their occupation and culture. However, the socio-economic and ecological activities which have taken place in the grazing regions have constrained nomadic pastoralism, with enormous pressure on its related resources. The pressure from these activities restricted the capacity of the nomadic Fulani to provide pasture and water for their animals. The dwindling capacity of the available pasture land coupled with the lack of knowledge by the herdsmen to increase it, resulted in southwards migration of the nomads in search of pasture and water. This movement south often brought the Fulani into communal clashes with farmers. Considering the diversity of use to which the resources are allocated in modern day Nigeria, the practice of nomadic pastoralism is not a sustainable livestock strategy for the industry development. An agenda for addressing the under development of the livestock industry is been canvassed and stakeholders must commit to successful transition to modern livestock industry, to end livestock related communal clashes.

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